Laura Kuenssberg say on BBC that many referred to Boris Johnson as the “Rock Star MP”

Laura Kuenssberg say on BBC that many referred to Johnson as the “Rock Star MP”.

Their purpose from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts. This is the very definition of a kangaroo court. 

Most members of the Committee – especially the chair – had already expressed deeply prejudicial remarks about my guilt before they had even seen the evidence. They should have recused themselves. They have still not produced a shred of evidence that I knowingly or recklessly misled the Commons. 

They know perfectly well that when I spoke in the Commons, I was saying what I believed sincerely to be true and what I had been briefed to say, like any other minister. They know that I corrected the record as soon as possible; and they know that I and every other senior official and minister – including the current Prime Minister and then occupant of the same building, Rishi Sunak – believed that we were working lawfully together. 

I have been an MP since 2001. I take my responsibilities seriously. I did not lie, and I believe that in their hearts, the Committee know it. But they have wilfully chosen to ignore the truth, because from the outset, their purpose has not been to discover the truth, or genuinely to understand what was in my mind when I spoke in the Commons. Rumours were flying about in Westminster on Friday night that he could attempt an immediate return to the Commons in the safe Mid Bedfordshire seat vacated by Nadine Dorries, who happens to be his most vehement supporter. In reality, the unwillingness of Conservative Campaign Headquarters to let it happen – combined with the prospect of a humiliating loss – make this an unlikely next step.

There is no doubt Johnson wants his audience to believe that he has not vacated the political stage; he said he was simply leaving Westminster “for now”. He has also made no secret of wanting to return, Churchill-style, as leader. But is there a way back before the next election? There will certainly be a few safe seats on offer and local associations keen to have him. But that would require the acquiescence of party high command. It would also require him to take on the Tory crown in opposition – a thankless task that even his allies struggle to picture.